Art of printing containers



Nov. 5, 1935. 4 R. J. KIECKHEFER 2,019,537

ART OF PRINTING CONTAINERQS Filed Much 17, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 -lNV NTQR BY i I wwwm ATTORNEY5 Filed March 17, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORI ATTORNEYS Nov. 5, 1935. R. J. KIECKHEFER I ART OF PRINTING CONTAINERS Filed March 17, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR, BY 2 M m'i m ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES .ui'r or PRINTING CONTAINERS Robert J. Kieckhefer, Brooklield, Wia, assignor to American Lace Paper Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of'Wisconsin Application March '17, 1934, Serial No. 716,063 1': Claims. (01.101-39) the customer. The manufacturer has heretofore printed the blank from which the cup was made up, and has thereafter manufactured the cups from that blank in advance of release orders. While the printing is a very simple operation, the manufacture of the cups requires time and consequently, in order that the manufacturer might .have sufiicient cups in stock to meet all release requirements, he has been obliged to carry on hand large stocks of cups for each customer. These cups, being printed with designs peculiarly adapted for that customer, cannot be diverted to satisfy a more immediate demand.

According to the present invention the cups are manufactured complete before being printed. Accordingly, the only cups stored are blank or unprinted cups. The number of cups stored need only be suflicient to satisfy the anticipated demand from all customers, since the printing operation is so expeditious that the cups for a given customer can be printed and shipped within a few hours after receivingany given release order.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a means suitable for the printing of complete and tapered containers, with particular reference to drinking cups andv other like receptacles of paper. One of my purposes is not only to minimize the. storage requirements afore- I said, but also to produce a neater product. Inasmuch as the container is complete when printed, there is no subsequent manufacturing operation to distort the printed design or to forceparts of it out of registry. The invention is of particular importance in connection with one piece cups of molded pulp which cannot be printed at all except by a means which is effective upon the complete cup.

Specifically, it is my purpose .to provide a 50 printing machine in which the finished receptacle to be printed is rotated across a printing die on an are determined by the conical form of the container wall, the cup supporting mandrel being movable to and from the plane of the print- 55 ing die to free its end portion for loading and unloading operations. The unloading-operation, at least, is preferably entirely automatic.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a printing device embodying the invention, the cup receiving 5 mandrel being shown in its loading position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device, showing the parts in printing position,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view in section through the printing die or plate, the cup, and 10 the mandrel and its associated parts, the parts I being shown in the Fig. 2 position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view taken on the line 4 -4 of Fig. 3 and showing the printing parts in printing position. 15

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic details showing successive relative positions of the cup handling parts with respect to the printing die or plate.

Like parts are identified by the same reference 20 characters throughout the several-views.

With reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the machine frame 8 mounted on base 9 houses a motor Ill which actuates the driving pulley ll of a speed reducer l2. -25

The driven shaft of the speed reducer is the main shaft l5 of the machine, and is preferably provided with an outboard hearing at 16 supported by arms l1. From this shaft all of themechanism is actuated through means hereinafter to be described.

The front wall l9 of the frame carries an arcuate limiting plate 20 which defines the ap-' proach of the work to the printing die or plate 2 l The latter is mounted on a registration plate '22 35 which is preferably vertically adjustable, as shown. in Fig. 4, in order that the design may be placed" properly with reference to cups or containers 25 of varying dimensions. While the plate shown at 2| in Figs. 1 and B bears a purely conventional design, it will be understood that it is perfectly practicable either to substitute or to include any desired advertising matter to suit the special requirements of a given customer, the 45 plate 2| being readily interchangeable with other plates according to the work in progress.

The printing plate or die 2| is engaged by means which is more or less conventional and will only be briefly described.

The inkis stored in a slotted receptacle 2! from which it issues on to the surface of the roller 28 which is turned slowly by a ratchet feed including ratchet wheel 29, pawl 30, lever 3|, link 32, and crank disk 33 which is located an arm 66 made fast to the shaft.

on a cross shaft 34 driven by bevel gearing from the main shaft I5.

Cross shaft 34 also carries a cam at 35 upon which rides a cam follower roller 36 carried by lever 31. Motion is transmitted from lever 31 through link 38, rocker arms 39 and 60, to a .roller 4| which rises periodically into contact with the feed roll 28. and carries ink therefrom to the surface of the transfer roll 32. Sets of distributing rolls at 43 engage the surface of the .transfer roll 62 to distribute the ink thereover in the usual manner.

The inking rolls 65 are mounted on a suitable cross head 86 on a plunger 31 carried by arm 38 and biased by the compression of spring 39 toward the fulcrums 50 upon which arms 38 are pivoted. The rolls 35 carry wheels 52 which move upon guides 53 to support the rolls 35 in the proper position for engagement with the raised letters or design on the printing press 2I, so that the plate will be inked by the rolls moved downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The means for moving the arms 88 and inking rollers 65 downwardlyand upwardly between the positions shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 1, includes a slide 55 guided for movement in a vertical slot 56 at the rear of the machine frame. This slide is connected by links 58 with arms 48, and by connecting rod 59 with a crank pin 60 on a disk 6| mounted at the rear end of the main shaft I5 so that once in each rotation of the main shaft, at a time when the work carrying device is out of the way, as shown in Fig. 1, the inking rollers 45 will move over the plate 2I to deliver thereto ink from the transfer roll 42.

The work support 65 comprises a sub-frame mounted on shaft I5, and actuated therefrom by The work support 65, however, is carried from the shaft by means of anti-friction bearings at 61 to turn freely upon the shaft, so that the work support can overrun the actuating arm 66. As shown in Fig. 4, the work support 65 has a boss at 68 engaged by a hard cushion at 69 when the arm 66 catches up with the work support to renew the motion thereof.

The mandrel which receives the work (container 25) is freely rotatable on bearings 'II about the spindle I2. This spindle is mounted on a rock shaft at I3 which also carries a pinion I4 meshing with a rack at I5. This rack is mounted at the upper end of a push rod I6 pressed radially toward shaft I5 by a compression spring I1 as shown in'Fig. 2. The push rod bears at its lower end adjusting mechanism I8 upon a bell crank lever I9 fulcrumed at 80 to.

the work carrier 65 and provided at its free end with a yoke 8I carrying a cam folower roller 82 which rides on the surface of cam 85 fixed to the frame.

As the work support 65 moves from the position in which it appears in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 6, toward the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, it will passthrough the Fig. 7 position. As soon as the work 25 has left the printing plate 2I,'the cam follower 82 will ride out of the concentric portion of cam 85, thereby permitting the push rod I8 to move radially toward shaft I5 under pressure of spring 11. This movement, transmitted through rack I5 and pinion ll to rock shaft 13, will cause the rock shaft to oscillate sharply with a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 and Fig. 7, thereby mechanically throwing the printed work from the mandrel I0. The pressure of cam follower 82 on the surface 87 at cam 85 will tend to accelerate the movement of the work holder 85 free of the actuating arm 66 at shaft I5. This tendency is assisted by gravity so that the work holder is caused to overrun shaft 5 I5 upon bearings 61 until its motion is abruptly checked by a brake, best shown in Fig. 1.

The work holder carries at its outer end an arcuate brake arm 88 in the path of which is disposed a brake shoe 89 carrying brake lining 10 at 90 and spring pressed by springs 9| to the limits permitted by the adjustable tension rods 92. When the arm 88 contacts the brake lining 90 it comes to rest as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 with the mandrel still projecting out from the plane of movement of the worksupport, and in an inverted position, to receive an inverted cup 25 which is to be printed.

The operator will just have time to position the cup on the mandrel when the actuating arm 66 of shaft I5 will overtake the arm and-again setlt in motion at the normal speed of the shaft. As the arm moves upward from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 toward the position shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, the shape of cam 85 will act on cam follower roller 82 through the mechanism above described, to oscillate the rock shaft I3 sufiiciently so that the spindle 12 will be held inwardly at the angle illustrated in Fig. 3 to align the side wall of the container with the plane of the printing plate to receive an impression therefrom.

it will be noted that the cup is positioned on the mandrel while the mandrel is inverted, and the rate of operation is suflicient so that centrif- .1 ugal force will tend to-maintain the cup on the mandrel until it is forcibly ejected by the abrupt downward movement of the mandrel as described. To make the cup retention positive, however, I prefer to use a detent button 95 carried by a bell crank 96 under the tension of'a light spring 91 at an elevation such that the cup will be-forced onto the button by the inward movement of the mandrel, and will be held on the mandrel by the button during the printing operation.

I claim: I

1. In a machine for printing receptacles, the combination with a drivingshaft, of a printing plate arcuately disposed about the axis of said shaft, a work carrier rotatable about said axis and provided with connections to receive motion from said shaft, and a work support on said carrier movable to and from said plate.

2. A machine for printing receptacles, comprising the combination with a die and a shaft, of a work carrier rotatable upon the shaft, an arm carried by said shaft and engaging said carrier for the propulsion thereof, a work holder mounted on said carrier, and retarding means for bringing said carrier to. rest pending re-engagement of said arm. therewith, said carrier being free on said shaft to overrun'said arm.

3. A device of the character described, comprising the combination with 'a fixed die and an actuating shaft, of a work carrier rotatable about the axis of the shaft, an actuating arm carried by the shaft and engageable with the carrier, said carrier being free to overrun beyond said arm, a work support carried by said carrier and movable to and from die engaging position for the application of work to said support and the removal of work therefrom, and means for checking the free movement of said' carrier in its overrun, and means for moving said work holder to its retracted position away from said die, so

synchronized with said checking means that said work holder will be retracted when the overrun of the carrier is checked.

4. Ina device of the character described, the combination with a die and a driving shaft, of a work carrier rotatable across the die and about the shaft, a work holding device movable upon said carrier to and from the die, means for moving said device into operative relationto the die during that portion of carrier rotation in which the carrier crosses the die and for' abruptly moving said device from the die following said period, a rotatable mandrel carrried by said device and upon which the work is engageable, said mandrel being tapered to discharge the workupon the abrupt-movement of said device from the die aforesaid, an actuating arm carried by said shaft and engageable with said carrier for the propulsion thereof, said carrier being free to overrun said arm following its passage across the die, and a brake for checking the overrun action of the carrier with said device in its retarded position, whereby said mandrel is adapted to receive new work.

5. In a device of the character described, the

combination with a fixed and an operatingshaft,

drel rotatable upon the spindle, and means for periodically oscillating said spindle mechanically in synchronism with the movement of said carrier, said means being adapted to hold said mandrel to said die during the traverse thereof by said carrier and, following said traverse, to sharply retract said mandrel from said die in a direction to discharge the work therefrom.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a die and an operating shaft, of a work carrier rotatable about said shaft to traverse said die, actuating means carried by said shaft and engageable with said carrier, said car rier being free to overrun said means, an arm mounted on said carrier, a spindle, carried by said arm and projecting centrally toward said shaft, said spindle being mounted for oscillation bodily in a radial plane of said shaft, means for controlling the movement of said arm comprising the fixed cam adjacent said shaft and a cam follower, and motion transmitting connections including a spring, said controlling means being adapted to move said spindle toward said die as said carrier approaches thedie to hold said spindle adjacent said die during the traverse of said die. and to retract said spindle abruptly following the traverse of said die. a mandrel rotatable upon the spindle and adaptedto receive the work to be acted upon by the die, a brake shoe mounted on said workcarrier, and a fixed brake adapted to retard the overrunning of said carrier at a point where said spindle and mandrel are retracted in work receiving position.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a die-and an operating shaft, of a work carrier rotatable about said shaft to traverse said die, actuating means carried by said shaft and engageable with said carrier, said carrier being free to overrun said means, an arm mounted on said carrier, a spindle carried by said arm and projecting centrally toward said shaft,

said spindle being mounted for oscillation bodfly in a radial plane of said shaft, means for con-. trolling the movement of said arm comprising the fixed cam adjacent said shaft and a cam follower,

and motion transmitting connections including a 5 spring, said controlling means being adapted to move said spindle toward said die as said carrier approaches the die to hold said spindle adjacent said die during the traverse of said die, and to retract said spindle abruptly following the traverse of said die, a mandrel'rotatable upon the spindle and adapted to receive the work to be acted upon by the die, a brake shoe mounted on said work carrier, and a fixed brake adapted 'to retard the overrunning of said carrier at a point where said spindle and mandrel are retracted in work receiving position, together with means for mechanically supporting the work on the mandrel when the mandrelis in operative relation to -the die.

cessive traverses thereof.

9. A machine for the printing of tapered receptacles, comprising a printing plate arcuately curved about a given axis to conform to the rolling path of the periphery of the receptacle to be printed, a mandrel support rotatable upon said axis, a mandrel carried by said support, means for rotating said support whereby to cause said mandrel to traverse said plate, means for mechanically inking the plate between successive traverses of the mandrel thereover, and means for mechanically effecting an adjustment of .the mandrel to and from the plane of theplate, said means including mechanism for holding the mandrel in a position to engage the "wrk with the plate during traverse thereof.

10. A machine for printing receptacles,. comprising the combination with a printing plate, of a support rotatable respecting said plate, a mandrel of tapered form, and an arm connecting the larger end of said mandrel with said support at a point more remote radially from the axis of rotation of the support than the small end of the mandrel. 5

11. The combination with a sector-shaped printing plate .arcuately disposed about a given axis, of a support rotatable on said axis, a tapered mandrel having its larger end remote from said axis and provided with means connecting said larger end with said support for causing said mandrel to traverse said plate in the course of rotation of said support on said axis, means for adjusting the mandrel to and from the plane of said plate, said means being adapted to maintain said mandrel in operative relation to said plate during the traverse thereof and to move said mandrel from said plate intermediate successive traverses.

12. The combination with a sector-shaped printing plate arcuately disposed about a given axis, of a support rotatable on said axis, a tapered mandrel having its larger end remote from said axis and provided with means connecting said larger end with said support for causing said mandrel to traverse said plate in the course of rotation of said support on said axis, means for adjusting the mandrel to and from the plane of said plate, said means being adapted to maintain said mandrel in operative relation to said plate during the traverse thereof and to move said mandrel from said plate intermediate successive traverses, together with a detent cooperative with the small end of the mandrel for holding the work thereon, said detent and mandrel being movable in unison with said support during the traverse of said plate by said mandrel, and being relatively movable between successive traverses whereby to permit of a. change of work upon the mandrel.

13.'A device of the character described, comprising the combination with a sector-shapedplate curved about a given axis, of a mandrel support rotatable on said axis, a mandrel provided with means connecting it with said support, means for rotating said support upon said axis, whereby to cause said mandrel to traverse said plate, and means for moving the mandrel to and from the plate including operating mechanism timed in synchrpnism with the rotation of said support for maintaining said mandrel in operatve relation to the plate during the traverse thereof, and for moving the mandrel from the plane of the plate between successive traverses thereof.

14. A device of the character described, com-' prising the combination with a sector-shaped plate curved about a given axis, of a mandrel support rotatable on said axis, a mandrel provided with means connecting it with said support, means for rotating said support upon said axis, whereby to cause said mandrel to traverse said plate, and means for moving themandrel to and from the plate including operating mechanism timed in synchronism with the rotation of said support for maintaining said mandrel in operative relation to the plate during the traverse thereof, and for moving the mandrel from the plane of, the plate between successive traverses thereof, 'the means for rotating the support including mechanism providing for a dwell in the rotation of said support at a time when the mandrel is remote from the plane of the plate.

15. A device of the character described, comprising the combination with a printing plate, of a rotatable siipport for a work holder, 9. work holder havingits inner end free and provided at its outer end with a pivotal connection with said support, upon which connection the inner end of the work holder is oscillatable substantially in a radial plane axially of the axis on which the support is rotatable, said holder being movable with respect to the support between a position 5 adaptedto enable'work carried thereby to contact the printing plate and a second position in which the work is exposed for removal from the holder, and means operable in timed relation to the rotation of the support for maintaining the-m holder in the first mentioned position during traverse of the plate, and for moving the holder to the second position between successive traverses of the plate.

16. In a device of the character described, the 15 combination with a support rotatable about a given axis, of a printing plate positioned to be traversed by work on said support in the course of support rotation, means for rotating the support,

a spindle pivoted to the support for movement 20 into and out of parallelism with the plane of work engagement with said plate, a tapered mandrel rotatably mounted on the spindle to partake of the pivotal movement thereof and the rotative movement of the support, said mandrel having its 25 larger end near the pivot of said spindle and its smaller end extending toward the axis upon which the support is rotatable, and means for mechanically oscillating said spindle about its pivot to move the mandrel to and from said plane, said means including actuating connections operable in accordance with the rotation of said support to hold said mandrel in said plane during traverse of said plate, and to throw the smaller end of the mandrel from said plane toward an exposed work 35 receiving position intermediate successive traverses of the support, and a detent device carried by said support adjacent the location of the smaller end of the mandrel when the latter is traversing said plate, whereby to hold the work 40 on the mandreL' l 17. Ina machine for printing hollow articles, the combination with a driving shaft, of a printing plate arcuately disposed about the axis of the shaft, a work carrier rotatable about the axis 45 and provided with connections to receive motion from the shaft, and a work support on said carrier movable to and from said plate and having an inwardly directed free end adapted to be received within the article to be printed.

\ ROBERT J. KIECKHEFER. 

